Tony Mowbray reveals Sunderland signing's injury set-back plus Dennis Cirkin and Aji Alese updates

Head coach Tony Mowbray has provided an update on Sunderland's pre-season so far - but has insisted the club's programme is progressing well despite a minor concern regarding new signing Jenson Seelt.

The Black Cats announced the signing of 20-year-old centre-back Seelt from Dutch side PSV Eindhoven last week. However, the Dutchman suffered a minor injury set-back upon his arrival.

The centre-back has only made one senior appearance for PSV’s senior side but played 33 times for the club’s under-21s team in the Dutch second division during the 2022-23 campaign.

"It is good having new faces around. Seelt isn't training at the moment. He has an injury to his ankle so he is not out on the grass," Mowbray said of the new arrival.

Sunderland's head coach also revealed that Nactar Triantis has not yet reported to Wearside owing to international duty with Australia under-20s.

The 20-year-old defender missed out on a spot in the Socceroos' starting XI to face their under-20 counterparts from France recently after their official Twitter account confirmed that Triantis had picked up an injury, although the specific nature was not divulged.

"Trtiantis is still in Australia having a break," Mobray added. "His season has just really finished. He played the Toulon tournament with Australia so we're giving him a week or two to have a break before a ten-and-a-half-month season.

"Trai Hume is not here training because he played internationals in the middle of June so we will filter them back in in the next few weeks. To answer your question, pre-season is going well. They are all fit.

"It is frustrating that we haven't got Aji Alese and we haven't got Dennis Cirkin or Ross Stewart or Corry Evans or Elliot Embleton but I'm sure they will filter in as the season starts and the likes of Elliot will filter into training on the American trip.

"Bit by bit we are trying to integrate the new lads and are trying to build on what we achieved last year with the feeling and the group and working hard and hopefully we can build this up-and-coming season on what we achieved last year," Mowbray added.

Sunderland face pre-season games in America with domestic fixtures at home pencilled in against South Shields, Gateshead and Hartlepool United.

"They are all slightly different," Mowbray responded when asked about return dates for Sunderland's injured players. "Corry won't be making the start of the season. Ross won't be making the start of the season.

"Elliot, I'm pretty sure will. I think he might be available for it. I think he is going to play some part of the last game in the US so let's wait and see on that one. Dennis, I don't think is far away at all. Aji is quite a way away, I don't think Aji will be coming to the US with us.

"That is frustrating because we gambled a little bit having him against Luton to have some physicality in there but he picked up a recurrence. Seelt should be just about ready for the start of the season but hopefully, there should be a few more through the door as well," Mowbray concluded.